Naoko Takemaru: Japanese studies professor identified as third victim in UNLV shooting

NEVADA, LAS VEGAS: Officials on Friday, December 8, identified the third victim of the shooting at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, as an associate professor of Japanese studies.

The Clark County Medical Examiner said that Naoko Takemaru, 69, died from "multiple gunshot wounds" after gunman Anthony Polito broke into the college just before noon on Wednesday.

Naoko Takemaru received the William Morris Award

Takemaru was a distinguished academic who wrote a book about gender bias in the culture's society and taught Japanese at all levels at UNLV, as per the New York Post. 

The university announced, "Dr. Takemaru has received the William Morris Award for Excellence in Teaching from the College of Liberal Arts at UNLV." Her identity was originally withheld by officials as they were yet to notify her family members.

The other two victims were previously identified by officials as business professors Cha Jan "Jerry" Chang, 64, and Patricia Navarro-Velez, 39.

Polito opened fire with a list of intended targets in hand while the three faculty members were inside UNLV's business school, Beam Hall. None of the targets were hit by his bullets.

The attack was survived by a visiting professor, 38, who was the fourth victim. He was taken to a hospital and his condition was later said to be stable.

Polito was shot and killed by police when he stormed out of the building.

Though the repeated rejections by universities may have contributed to the perpetrator's violence, authorities are still investigating the motive behind the crime.

UNLV cancels semester classes due to a deadly rampage

Polito, an associate business professor at several Nevada higher education institutions from August 2001 to January 2017, had multiple job applications turned down.

The disgraced professor wrote 22 letters to collegiate scholars around the nation, all of which were apparently laced with a white powder, just before going on a deadly rampage.

UNLV canceled all of the remaining semester's classes, including finals, in the wake of the tragedy. On the other hand, the Winter Commencement will go ahead as scheduled.

In a letter to the community, UNLV President Keith E Whitfield stated, "One common thread that emerged was a desire to come together."

He added, "The milestone moment of commencement is the most special day on the university calendar, and it’s in difficult times like these that we can and should celebrate our graduates’ academic dreams fulfilled." 

President of the American Association of University Professors Irene Mulvey criticizes gun violence as a national threat

In a statement, Irene Mulvey, president of the eminent faculty organization American Association of University Professors, referred to gun violence as an "unacceptable national menace” and pushed for changes to gun laws.

She took to X (formerly Twitter) and wrote, "We mourn the most recent senseless, tragic violence & murder on a college campus. We call upon our elected leaders to move forward with actions that we know can begin to solve our American gun violence epidemic."

In a subsequent post, Mulvey mentioned, "We agree with our colleagues at @NvFacAlliance: respect & compassion must guide our interactions with one another, especially in our institutions of higher learning." 

She further stated, "We call upon our elected leaders to move forward with actions that we know can begin to solve our American gun violence epidemic."